Skeletons
by LilyxLithium
Summary: Dean thought he could keep the skeletons in he closet at bay. But he knows, better than anyone, that more often than not, the past refuses to stay forgotten.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, this story is a new and improved version of the original draft I had posted a long time ago. The reason I'm rewriting this story is because the other one was complete and utter crap. It was horrible, there were a million grammar mistakes, things didn't make sense, and there weren't enough details. I'm surprised it even got as many reviews as it did. So, I've decided to scrap the old one and start a brand new one (just because I can, and I believe my writing skills have improved since then.) Which is good for you, since I plan on making this one way better than the original, but I'm still keeping the same title; it just goes well with the storyline. I want to thank everyone who read the original and encouraged me to continue. They meant more to me than you'll ever know.

**Summary: **(Set in season 1) After the horrific events that happened with Bloody Mary a few weeks ago, the guys head out on the road, and begin to follow the next set of clues in their father's journal. Dean thought he could keep the skeletons in his closet at bay. But he knows, better than anyone, that more often than not, the past refuses to stay forgotten.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sam and Dean Winchester, they belong to the CW. However, I do own my made up characters.

So, without further ado; out with the old, and in with the new!

/// 

**Prologu****e**

The bright light of the overhead fixture is blinding as it pierces the darkness of the kitchen. I have to squint my eyes for a full second before they can adjust to the change.

"Bad dream?" Carla asks; her hand still on the light switch.

I can only nod, my hands wrap tighter around the ceramic mug placed before me on the table. I can hear Carla sigh as she enters the kitchen, rummage through one of the cabinets near the sink. She fills a mug with coffee from the pot, pulls out a chair at the table, and settles herself next to me.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asks after taking a sip.

"Not really," I respond, shifting in my seat.

"This is how many nights now?" Carla whispers.

I have trouble breathing past the lump in my throat; it takes me a moment to reply.

"Five nights in a row."

"Always the same dream?"

"Always." I lift the mug to my lips and take a drink, hoping that it will make the lump go down easier. It doesn't. Silence covers the two of us like a blanket. It stretches for what almost seems like an hour, until Carla's voice fills the once quiet room.

"I know this is the last thing you wanna hear right now Liv," Carla pauses for a moment, seeming to struggle with the words she is trying to say, "but, maybe you should see a doctor about this. See if you can get some help. Sleeping pills, ya'know?" Carla refuses to look at me as I gaze at her in astonishment.

"There's nothing wrong with me Carla, nothing. Bad dreams are bad dreams. No more, no less. I don't need to see a doctor."

"I think you're wrong," Carla objects, finally looking up to meet my eyes. Her dark chocolate orbs are filled with conviction as she continues. "I can hear you in the middle of the night. Thrashing around in your room, those aren't ordinary nightmares Liv. They sound so…so violent. It's like you're fighting for your life in there. Its not normal Olivia, you need help."

My vision becomes distorted as I stare at my best friend. Tears are forming at the corners of my eyes; threatening to spill over the edges.

"I…"

"Who's Dean?"

"What?" I gasp before I can stop myself.

"Who is Dean?" Carla repeats her question. "You call out that name constantly. You sound so desperate, like it's your last lifeline or something."

My heart is pumping so hard I can hear the blood pulsing in my ears. It feels like it's going to leap out of my chest any second. The palms of my hands are beginning to sweat, and I desperately wipe them on my thighs.

"He's…he's no one. No one at all." I say in a rush.

Carla looks at me, speculation clearly visible on her beautiful face. She opens her mouth to reply when a loud electronic crackle sounds throughout the room, cutting her off. I turn to the baby monitor sitting on the counter, and wait.

"Mommy…" Her voice is a mere whimper, this is my cue.

I leap from the table, pushing the chair back in the process. Without a second glance at Carla, I hurry from the room.

/// 

I hate this part of the job. The packing and moving on, as if we'd never been here. Now that I think about it, we're nothing more than ghosts ourselves. Moving from place to place, never really belonging anywhere. Lost souls in a way.

A laugh bubbles in my chest and spills out, breaking the silence of the hotel room. 'Ghosts ourselves' 'Lost souls'? Ha! Nice analogies, very deep. Damn, spending so much time with Sam is really making me crazy.

Sam looks up at me from his packing and frowns.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, it's nothin'." I reply, wiping the back of my hand across my mouth, trying to erase the smile that is twitching at the corners of my lips.

Sam shakes his head at me, "You're crazy, you know that Dean?"

"You don't know the half of it Sammy." I say as I finish throwing my dirty clothes into my army green duffle bag and zipping it shut. Placing the black strap on my shoulder, I turn to face my little brother.

"You ready to get out of here?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

Sam nods, "Yeah. I'm sick of this town."

"Me too." I go to the nightstand and pick up the room's keycard, slip it into my back pocket. We both head for the door.

"How do you feel about stopping at a bar along the way? I'm a little thirsty." I ask, and wiggle my eyebrows up and down. Sam rolls his eyes as he opens the door and steps out onto the breezeway.

"You're always thirsty Dean."

I shrug my shoulders, it's true.

"What do you feel like?" Sam puts his hands in his pockets as he waits.

I close the door behind me, readjust the strap, and make a face. "How 'bout a Bloody Mary?" I ask, mock innocence coloring my tone of voice.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Sam responds, sarcastic as ever.

"What?" I ask indignant, "It sounds kinda good right now!"

"Yeah. Right." Sam snorts.

We head for the hotel's main office to check out. I'm smiling to myself the whole way.

/// 

**A/N:** What did you think? Was it good or bad? Was Dean too out of character? Or was Sam? What did you think of the P.O.V choice? Please review. Thank you in advance!


	2. The Girl Next Door Was Murdered

Chapter 1:

**The Girl Next Door-Was Murdered**

___Have the courage to live. Anyone can die._

-Robert Cody

//// 

"Damn it. Where the hell are my white Nikes?" The teenage girl lowered herself to the floor, on her hands and knees. She lifted the frilly pink bed skirt, and peered under the mattress at the chaos of dirty clothes, loose leaf papers and old yearbooks that were strewn about; in the hopes of locating her precious tennis shoes. She reached an arm out and began sifting through the mess, he hand grasping at objects, but soon tossing them away when their shape didn't feel like that of a shoe.

"Mykala!?" A voice called from down the hall, it was coming from the kitchen, "Are you going to take Shelby for a walk or not? Because its getting dark outside, and dinner is almost ready." Mykala Johnson rolled her eyes in annoyance and heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, mom, I am. I just gotta find my shoes first!" Mykala grunted as she stretched her arm out farther, straining herself. She ran her hand along the carpet until she felt something brush her fingertips. "Aha!" She pulled her hand out, producing the once MIA Nikes. "I knew I was going to find you." The girl said with glee as she pulled them on, bunny-earring the laces.

"Did you find them?" Mykala's mother asked as her daughter bounded into the kitchen.

"Yep," Mykala replied; busy pulling her long chestnut colored hair into a ponytail.

"Where are you walking to? The park?" Edie Johnson asked, tossing the contents of the pan she was cooking in around and around with a wooden spoon.

"Mmhm. Thought I'd let her run around for a little bit, toss a ball or two for her." Mykala took a moment and breathed in the mouthwatering aroma of beef and vegetables. "That stir fry smells awesome mom."

Edie smiled, "Thanks hon. Run her ragged, please. She was driving your father and I nuts last night with her constant barking. The way she was acting, it was like someone was outside our house or something."

"Will do," Mykala said as she maneuvered around the kitchen's granite island and reached for the brown leather leash hanging on a tack against the wall. At the sound of the leash's metal clasp hitting the counter, the Johnson's two year old German shepherd raced into the room, her tail whipping from side to side, and barked once happily.

"You ready to go to the park, girl?" Mykala asked, smiling. The shepherd barked once more. Mykala chuckled and reached a hand out to rub the dog affectionately behind her ears.

"I'll take that as a yes."

//// 

Mykala grunted as she threw the bright neon colored ball high into the air. The dog raced after it with amazing speed, keeping an eye on it all the while. Right before it hit the ground, the shepherd leapt into the air and caught it. Landing gracefully before trotting back to her owner. Mykala cheered and clapped her hands in delight at her dog's agility.

"Good girl, Shelby. Good girl." She reached her hand down and extracted the ball from the dog's slobbering mouth. The two of them had been at this for almost an hour. When they arrived at the park, it was semi populated with a crowd of high school students getting high and drunk off of Everclear shots. Now that the sun had set and the sky was no longer a startling burgundy red, but a deep black, the park was deserted of all life, save for the girl and her dog.

"Time to go home, Shelb. Dinner is probably cold by now, and mom is more likely than not, worried. Besides, I have a crap load of chemistry homework I have to finish. Not to mention an English paper I have to type." Mykala clipped the leash to Shelby's collar, and the pair made their way through the park. Past the jungle gym and a set of swings. The girl and her dog turned onto Clovercroft when the street lamps went on, casting pools of amber light on the sidewalk. Mykala wrapped her jacket around herself as the wind kicked up and blew across her cheeks.

"Good God its cold," Mykala mumbled, looping a strand of hair behind her ear. She had not taken more two steps forward when Shelby stood stalk still with her head cocked to the side. Mykala frowned and halted by her dog.

"What's wrong girl? Come on, we gotta get home." The teenager tugged on the leash, but still the dog refused to budge. The shepherd was staring intently at a spot ahead of them, farther than Mykala's eyes could see. Shelby's ears were flattened against her head and deep growls began to reverberate from the cavity of her chest. At this point Mykala's palms began to sweat, heartbeat skipping into a gallop, and her muscles tightened at the thought of the unseen threat. The flight response was taking over her body.

"Let's go Shelby." Mykala's voice was laced with a slight trace of a quiver. Just as she was about to take a step off the curb, so she and her dog could cross the street, the shepherd raced forward with a force that caused the leash to rip from the girl's strong grip. The barking dog was headed for an empty lot overcrowded with a thick forest of aspen trees. Mykala followed after, her sneakers slapping the pavement as she desperately tried to keep up the speeding animal before her. Shelby reached the lot, and soon disappeared into darkness. The echoes of her howling, ferocious barking trailing behind her.

Mykala stopped to catch her breath once she reached boundary of the lot. Doubled over, hands on her knees, eyes watering. She could still hear Shelby loud and clear. She had never witnessed her dog behave like this before. It was completely unlike her to run off and not stop the moment she heard her name being called. The shepherd had always been an obedient companion. Mykala was left dumbfounded.

After slowing her heart, Mykala cautiously entered the trees. She called out to the dog in a loud clear voice, but the dog never came. She carefully picked her way over upturned roots and rocks, paying attention to where the barking was coming from. From the position of the noise, Mykala knew she was close. But what she heard next made her freeze and her eyes widen in horror.

Shelby's growling was cut off abruptly followed by a loud keening yelp like that of a dieing animal. It crescendo until Mykala thought her eardrums might rupture, and then was gone. Like someone had flipped a switch. The air around the frozen teenager was deadly still, it was then she realized that not a creature stirred, not even a cricket.

"Shelby...," Mykala's voice trailed off in a desperate whisper, "Shelby, where-"

The sound of flesh being ripped from the bone tore into the night. Causing Mykala's body to move of its own accord. She turned and ran full tilt away from the sound of her beloved pet being torn to pieces by an unseen monster. Her heart was throbbing against her ribcage, her arms and legs pumped her ever faster through the lot. But there was movement behind her as well. Something was moving quickly through the trees, following closely, but keeping to the shadows. She could hear it breathing, hear it's swift passage through the darkness. At first, she thought she was racing from a bear. But she couldn't hear four paws pounding against the sodden ground. All she could hear was two, like the monster was running upright. Like a man might...

Mykala burst through a thicket and narrowly missed colliding with a tree. It's branch whipped her in the face, glancing off her cheek. She felt something warm slide down her face an collect on the collar of her shirt. Up ahead she could see a bright pool of amber. It was like a beacon, if she were a ship, it would have been her lighthouse calling her home. A few more yards and she was home free. Mykala cried out when her right ankle twisted and gave out from under her. She tumbled to her hands and knees. She tried to move, but the pain that shot up her leg was excruciating. Moving was out of the question. Knowing she was a sitting duck where she was, Mykala scrambled to find a rock big enough to bash against its head if it tried to get near her. The monster was closing in fast, it would be on her in a matter of seconds. _I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die._

The young girl braced herself for the monster's killing strike. It came from above as the murderer leapt from the trees. In a last ditch effort, Mykala lifted her arm to protect her face, but it did no good. The last thing she saw was the silhouette of a man, before her terrifying screams and dark red blood filled the silent night.

//// 

Half way across the country, in the front passenger seat of a black '69 Impala, Sam Winchester bolted upright from a deep sleep. Sweat poured down the sides of his face, his dark shaggy hair soaked with it. He blinked several times to clear his eyes of the salty water.

"Bad dream little brother?" Dean Winchester asked glancing away from the dark road ahead of them to look at Sam. Who was taking in deep shallow breaths.

"Yeah, you could say that." Sam answered, a frown creasing his forehead. In his mind's eye he could still see the girl being mauled to death by something that had the same build as a human man. Her blood had been everywhere as well as several body parts. That was the part of the dream he could see as clear as day. But the monster was nothing but a blurry outline of black on black.

Dean turned back to the road, switching his hands on the steering wheel.

"Ok." He said, nodding his head in understanding. Dean knew right away that Sam was having one of his Hailey Joel Osment moments.

"Dean..."

"Yeah Sammy?"

"I think I know where we need to go next."

"Where?" Dean ticked his eyes back to his brother's tired face, his mind clouded with worry. But made sure his face gave nothing away.

"Franklin, Tennessee." Sam covered his face with his hands, and began to cry.

* * *

What'd you think? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully I'll get the chapters out faster now that I'm out of school for a little while. Review please. Thanks in advance. 


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